Soaking Up West Cornwall

by James on May 26th, 2011

I seem to have spent a lot of this year thinking, theorising and supporting others to develop creatively. Its been a fascinating time but a week away in West Cornwall reminded me of what else I need, time to wander, explore and document my own experiences.

It may sound obvious being an artist, but you can get so caught up in supporting others that you take your eye off of your own creative well-being, and I definitely need both to keep the cycle moving.

Cornwall did the trick. My time there reminded me of my need to link my own individual practice with the stuff of the landscape, its history, wildlife, weather and layers of culture interwoven with everything else.

When I’m on holiday I give myself permission to do things that used to be a regular part of my practice – to really relax into a place, stop and listen, smell, allow the place to seep into me. Cornwall is also doubly inspiring for me, not just because of the rugged, historic landscape but because of the tradition of producing art inextricably linked with that landscape, so we also spent a lot of time exploring the galleries.

Now that I’m back I’m making sure that I spend a decent amount of time feeding myself creatively and exploring locally. So I’m getting off of the computer now and I’m off out to do some walking, drawing, writing, rubbing, painting, collecting. Doing whatever feels right at the time, and soaking up some of what makes my own local patch special.